Hispanic culture is valuable

When I was younger, I had my First Communion. My mom and I bought a white little dress and a veil to match. Walking up to the altar in church, it was the time to get blessed.

I took hold of the bread, the Body of Christ, and ate it. I took a small sip of wine, the Blood of Christ. The Holy Communion ceremony was complete.

Everest freshman Serina Sperduto poses for a photo before her First Communion.

Then it was time for celebration! There was a party ready to start at my godmother’s house. I was enthusiastic to see my Hispanic side of the family who were excited to celebrate my Holy Communion.

We had so much food! We had beans, rice, morisqueta and so much more Mexican food. I was just happy to see I could be a part of the Hispanic culture.

Being part of the Hispanic culture is important to me because it’s a different type of culture to experience that not everyone can. I have different cultures I can celebrate. My dad’s side of the family is Caucasian and sticks to their American roots; however, my mom is from Michoacán, and she follows her Mexican culture.

Being part of another culture, specifically the Hispanic culture, is amazing, and I am glad that I can be part of it through my mother’s side.

Everest Public High School has many different cultures since it’s such a big community. One of the biggest cultures at Everest is the Hispanic culture.

Everest freshman Cris Bac said, “The Hispanic culture is important because they bring a different culture to the Bay Area, and we need to be different; we are not all the same.”

Everest freshman Cris Bac PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Prado

Everest freshman Alfredo Lanuza PHOTO CREDIT: Jissis Hernandez

Another Everest freshman, Alfredo Lanuza, agreed with Bac and said, “We make the Bay Area fun and ‘lit’ – without Hispanics and African Americans, we would just have techies.”

Experiencing different cultures helps people become more comfortable with their own identity and learn more about the identities of others.

Hispanic culture is a big part of my school and my community, and it means a lot to me. Hispanic culture should be recognized so that everyone can understand that it’s a big part of the community and that a lot of people believe in it strongly.